1851 MAUNDER TREASURY OF HISTORY CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO GOLD RUSH ILLUS VOL II. The Treasury of History; Being a History of the World: Comprising a General History, Both Ancient and Modern, of the Principal Nations of the Globe. Samuel Maunder; edited by John Inman. Henry Bill, New York. 1851 Henry Bill edition; Volume II only (of two-volume set). Handsome 1851 Henry Bill Volume II of Samuel Maunder’s Treasury of History, the expanded “History of the World” edited by New York writer John Inman and updated to include the Mexican War, California, and the rapidly changing United States. This thick world-history volume ranges from Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia to Russia, the Ottoman Empire, India, Persia and Arabia, China, Japan, Australia and Polynesia, the West Indies, and a long concluding section on the United States and its individual states and territories, including early treatments of California, New Mexico, and Utah during the Gold Rush and antebellum expansion. The book is richly illustrated throughout, with a full “List of Illustrations” for Volume II and numerous steel engravings in the text. Highlights include views of Dublin, Limerick, and Kinsale in Ireland; Scottish and English scenes such as Stirling Castle, Carlisle, and St. Andrew’s; continental subjects from the Tyrol, St. Helena, the Chevalier Bayard, Namur, and Utrecht; and a striking group of Mexican War and western-American views such as Corpus Christi, Point Isabel, Fort Brown, a view near Monterey, the charge at Buena Vista, and a Mexican funeral. One of the most desirable elements for Western Americana and cartographic collectors is the large folding tinted lithographic frontispiece view of San Francisco dated 1850, drawn during the early Gold Rush and published by Henry Bill after the celebrated view by Theodore Taylor Johnson, Charles Conrad Kuchel, and P. The original full leather binding features deeply impressed arabesque and foliate blind-stamping on both boards, still quite sharp and attractive, with gilt-decorated spine panels and red title labels; however, the spine leather is rubbed and toned with scattered darkening, small scuffs, and shallow chipping at the head and tail, and the outer joints show vertical cracking, surface loss, and rubbing along the length. Board edges and corners are rubbed through to the underlying boards in spots, particularly at the tips, and there is typical wear along the bottom edges from shelf use. The marbled text-block edges retain good color but show some rubbing and a few small scratches consistent with long use. Inside, the marbled endpapers are bright and appealing, with the inner hinges showing some stress and faint cracking at the gutters but remaining intact; the text block is still securely bound and reasonably firm for such a thick volume, with no obvious gatherings working loose in the photos. Throughout the text there is intermittent foxing ranging from light speckling to more pronounced patches on a few leaves, with some toning at the margins and a few small, old damp-stain tidemarks near the outer edges toward the rear, but the type remains clear and legible. I do not see heavy underlining or modern highlighting; as with many mid-19th-century histories, there may be an old ownership inscription or small pencil note or two, but nothing that overwhelms the text or plates. The folding San Francisco 1850 frontispiece appears complete, with its original multiple panel folds. The image area, however, still retains strong detail and pleasing color, an excellent example of this famous Gold Rush view when seen as part of the original volume. Other full-page engravings, including views of European cities, Hong Kong from the opposite mainland, Mexican War battle scenes, and American frontier scenes, show the same light foxing and toning as the text but no major losses in the images. Overall, this is Volume II only of the 1851 Henry Bill edition, in an attractive blind-stamped leather binding with marbled edges, numerous steel engravings, and the sought-after San Francisco 1850 folding lithograph still present. It will appeal to collectors of Western Americana, Gold Rush and Mexican War material, early views of California and Hong Kong, and 19th-century world histories who are looking for a solid, honestly aged example more for its content and illustrations than for strict fine-binding perfection. Make sure to see the photos above for complete details. Measures approximately 9 1/2 inches tall by 6 inches wide by 2 1/4 inches thick. The Treasury of History being a history of the world, Samuel Maunder, John Inman editor, Henry Bill New York 1851, Treasury of History Volume II, history of the world nineteenth century, universal history ancient and modern, principal nations of the globe, Mexican War history, California history, Gold Rush era narrative, New Mexico and Utah early territorial history, San Francisco 1850 fold out lithograph, Kuchel Duval Johnson San Francisco view, Sights in the Gold Region connection, Hong Kong from the opposite mainland engraving, Corpus Christi Point Isabel Fort Brown Buena Vista Mexican Funeral illustrations, Irish history Dublin Limerick Kinsale engravings, Scotland and England castles Stirling Castle St Andrews Carlisle views, France Spain Portugal Germany Netherlands Switzerland Italy Venice Rome histories, Russia Poland Sweden Denmark Norway Prussia Austria Hungary, East India Islands Ceylon Java Borneo Philippines, Australia and Polynesia early descriptions, United States history to Mexican War, outline history of the different states, New York New England Mid Atlantic Southern states early chapters, marbled text block edges, full leather blind stamped boards, gilt decorated spine raised bands style, Victorian world history reference, antebellum American expansion, Western Americana collectible, Californiana San Francisco harbor view, nineteenth century illustrated history book, early Hong Kong illustration, genealogical background reference, antique world history volume, 1850s American publishing, Harper and Bill related editions, Gold Rush map and view interest, map and print collectors source volume, rare San Francisco lithograph in book, antiquarian history of the world volume two only, decorative leather binding for display. _gsrx_vers_1730 GS 9.9.4 (1730).